DELAG, (German acronym for "German Airship Travel Corporation") was the
world's first airline to use an aircraft (a
Zeppelin) in revenue service.
It was founded on 16 November 1909 with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by Zeppelin Corporation. Its headquarters were in
Frankfurt.
Beginnings
Alfred Colsman served as the
airline's first general director. Also involved in the early stages were Dr. Love and Dr. Franz Adickes, the mayor of Frankfurt. The founding capital amounted to three million
Marks, of which the majority (Mk 2,600,000) came from the cities of Frankfurt and
Düsseldorf. The remaining Mk 400,000 came in the form of
airships from the Zeppelin plant in
Friedrichshafen.
Passenger service aboard the airship LZ 7 began in 1910 with routes from Frankfurt to Baden-Baden and Düsseldorf. This vessel, known as the "Deutschland", was destroyed on 28 June 1910, nine days after its maiden voyage, when it crashed into the Teutoburger forest. One year later, a steward was introduced aboard the new airship LZ 10 "Schwaben" and was responsible for the well-being of the passengers.
By 1913, DELAG had established a route network between Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Baden-Oos, Berlin-Johannisthal, Gotha, Hamburg, Dresden and Leipzig. World War I prevented the planned expansion to other European capitals.
By July 1914, one month before the start of World War I, DELAG's Zeppelins had transported 34,028 passengers on 1,588 commercial flights; the fleet had flown 172,535 kilometres in 3,176 hours. )
Impact of World War I
The airships LZ 11, LZ 13, and LZ 17 were pressed into service for the
German Army. After the war, however, DELAG's LZ 120 "Bodensee" and LZ 121 "Nordstern" helped reconnect the cities of Europe. LZ 120 already flew between Friedrichshafen and
Berlin-Staaken with a stopover in
Munich, but both ships were surrendered as post-war
reparations in 1921: LZ 120 went to Italy and was re-christened "Esperia", while LZ 121 became France's "Méditerranée" before it ever entered service for DELAG.
Transatlantic service
In September 1928, DELAG began operating the successful
rigid airship LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. This craft made regular, nonstop, transatlantic flights possible before
airplanes had long enough range to cross the ocean in either direction without stopping.
Evolution
The
Graf Zeppelin was the final airship employed by DELAG. In 1935, the state-sponsored
Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (DZR) was founded. Its fleet included the
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin,
LZ 129 Hindenburg and
LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin.
In 2001, a modern firm also by the name Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei was established as a subsidy of Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT). It operates the Zeppelin NT07 Baden Wurttemberg airship on sightseeing flights around Germany.
Airships
Prior to World War I:
LZ 6
LZ 7 ''Deutschland
LZ 8 Deutschland (replaced LZ 7)
LZ 10 Schwaben
LZ 11 Viktoria Luise
LZ 13 Hansa
LZ 17 Sachsen
Following World War I:
LZ 120 Bodensee
LZ 121 Nordstern (North Star)
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, the last airship used by DELAG
In March 1935 the LZ 127 was transferred to the newly founded Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei company, which also received as start capital the Hindenburg still under construction.
External links
The Early Years of German Commercial Aviation
Airships: A Zeppelin History Site
Information about DELAG successor Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei
References
"Delag" Encyclopædia Britannica (2009). Retrieved May 5, 2009.
Category:Airlines established in 1909
Category:Defunct airlines of Germany
Category:Airlines disestablished in 1935
